Denon's Heos HS2 multiroom speakers offer hi-res streaming support and Bluetooth connectivity. The look of the Heos hasn't changed in this new iteration – just the internal components have been polished – so the Heos 7 HS2 and Heos 5 HS2 both have the same horizontal teardrop design as the original line, and both are built extremely well with nice attention to detail, well-finished edges, and premium quality materials. The top-of-the-line Heos … [Read more...]
Show Floor Report: Indulgence Show 2016
The inaugural Indulgence Show, born out of the Headroom Show in Chiswick, took place in West London this past weekend in the U.K. Attendees were treated to three shows in one, with the Headroom zone focusing on headphones and portable music players, while Audio London on the upper floors covered high-end hi-fi from the likes of Arcam, Audiolab, B&W, Chord, Clearaudio, Devialet, Dynaudio, KEF, Naim, PMC, and Quad. One of the most … [Read more...]
Gear Review: Optoma NuForce uDAC5 USB DSD DAC
When we listen to music, there’s more often than not a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in the signal path between the source, the amplifier, and the loudspeakers or headphones that ultimately deliver the sound to our ears. Those two components can make or break your audio experience. When your source playback device is a computer, the quality of the DAC you’re using becomes even more important. Computers are great at lots of things, but … [Read more...]
Gear Review: Sony Xperia X Compact Smartphone Features Built-In Hi-Res Audio Support
While we have seen a lot of “mini” iterations of popular flagship smartphones, these devices tend to fall in the midrange category. Sony is the lone holdout in this regard, with their Compact devices only shrinking in size, while retaining the specifications and features of their flagship counterparts, which is the case with one of Sony’s latest offerings, the Xperia X Compact ($425-$500, depending on where you look). While the Xperia X … [Read more...]
Sony Introduces (Very) Upscale Portable DAP at IFA 2016
Last year at CES in January 2015, Sony introduced a high-end music player called the Sony Walkman ZX2, featuring a price tag of over $1,000. Fast forward more than a year later to the present day, and the Japanese company took the veil off a new pricey state-of-the-art music player wrapped in gold. The device is known as the Sony Walkman MW-WM1Z, it builds on top of the Walkman ZX2 with new upgrades, and costs a whopping $3,199. As mentioned … [Read more...]